


And Only Shooting Stars

by NortheasternWind



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reconciliation, except without the hurt part, gabe knows his feelings but jack is in denial, rip jack, they are Unsure but they sort it out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 23:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7662046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NortheasternWind/pseuds/NortheasternWind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack is recently rescued, and he and Gabriel speak for the first time since his ordeal. Maybe things will start getting better between them now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And Only Shooting Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually the last scene of a plot I thought of a couple days ago that I'm too damn lazy to write. Obligatory I'm Filipino note and also i hate coming up with titles fight me

Gabriel abandoned the interrogation the moment he received Angela’s text; no more reason to waste another second on this schmuck, not when someone much more worthy of his time was finally awake to receive it. Running would be undignified, but Gabriel wasn’t above pushing past passers-by at the fastest powerwalk he’d ever done in his life, and with some satisfaction he noted that others stepped hastily out of his way when they spied the expression on his face.

Jack had been moved to his own room at Gabriel’s request, with the excuse that he was important enough to need the extra protection; in reality he had known this moment would come, and when he burst through the door suddenly enough to startle Jack he was glad not to have an audience.

“God, Jack,” he choked out, closing the distance between them and leaning down to wrap Jack in his arms.

“Hey,” Jack said quietly, returning the embrace with one of his own. His arms were warm and his grip strong, and at this Gabriel felt some ease return to his troubled mind. “Heard you were worried about me.”

“I wasn’t expecting to lose you on a fucking heist,” Gabe said, letting go and moving back to look him over. Jack appeared no better than he had days ago at his rescue, that ugly bruise still painting the entire right side of his face, but underneath his wounds he seemed no worse for the experience. Whatever his captor had done to him had not included anything terribly traumatizing, at least—nothing a few days of rest wouldn’t fix.

They’d been lucky.

“Yeah, that was kind of embarrassing.” Jack chuckled sheepishly. “I guess there’s something to be said for knowing your enemy after all.”

“You knew that already.”

“Yeah, but it’s never really mattered until now. Guess I’ve got more than just bullets to watch out for now that we’re famous, huh?”

Gabriel felt himself huff without meaning to, and Jack swallowed in response—he could have lost him, could have broken into that room to find him still and lifeless, and this wasn’t the time to be nursing hurt feelings and he knew that and yet—

“Yeah,” he blurted out when Jack opened his mouth to speak, to take away Gabriel’s chance to reassure him. “This isn’t going to be the last time someone’ll be after you personally. You sure you can handle it?”

“I can now, yeah,” Jack said flatly, and too late Gabriel realized how very like an accusation his words had sounded. “I was a little unprepared this time, but it won’t happen again.”

“Good.”

He took a seat on the bed next to Jack. If only he had the temperament for a bedside vigil—remaining in one place for so long while Jack Morrison lay bleeding next to him would drive him up the wall for sure, and so he’d busied himself with other tasks and chased others out of the weight room to spend his spare time there. As a result he could offer nothing but words to assure Jack that the man had been on his mind constantly since his capture, that he didn’t know what he’d do if Jack had simply never woken up. Actions spoke louder than words.

“Guess he was more concerned with your reputation than your looks if he banged your face up.”

Jack grinned, a familiar light returning to his eyes. “This was me, actually! He wanted me perfect, so I slammed my head against the wall until he finally came to investigate.”

“God!”

“Next thing I know I’m here in the base. Guess he didn’t want me trying again.”

Gabriel reached out to touch the bruise gingerly, Jack stiffening under his hand. He had stitches where the skin had split open, and the force that must have taken against a flat wall…

“You probably saved your own life,” he admitted through a dry mouth. “Otherwise he’d’ve killed you before we got there and we’d be burying you right now.”

“Or sticking me in a museum.”

“Stop it,” Gabriel snapped, letting his hand fall when Jack began to lean into it. “You have any idea what that’d do to me? They want you in a museum they can make a damn statue.”

Jack beamed, but it was a fragile, uncertain look, and with a pang Gabriel realized—

“You didn’t think I’d come for you.”

Jack started, eyes widening like a deer caught in the headlights.

“No!” he said instantly. “I knew you would—otherwise I wouldn’t have delayed him as long as possible. I know you wouldn’t do that to me.”

Gabriel growled. “You’re damn right I wouldn’t, and don’t you forget it.”

“But I thought about it,” Jack admitted, visibly mustering his courage. “I know you wouldn’t, but you’ve been such a stranger lately. I thought maybe, in a fit of anger...”

“You dumb bastard,” Gabriel managed around the stone in his throat, dragging a startled Jack down onto the bed and crushing him to his chest. “I can’t be mad at you if you’re dead, asshole, I’m not gonna murder you for your job.”

Jack let out a breath and closed his eyes against Gabriel’s shirt. That Jack would think him capable of abandoning him over a quarrel like that was unbelievable, and yet exactly like him.

“...I just thought you had my back, too.”

Jack sighed, and when Gabriel looked down at him his expression was grim and unreadable. He didn’t want to talk about it, but Gabriel was done being disappointed in him.

“It’s hard not to do what I’m supposed to,” he said after a while. “They called me up and gave it to me, and I couldn’t think of how to give it back without making a scene… I don’t like rocking the boat.”

“White people never do.”

Jack was very still then, but Gabriel paid it no mind—they were both used to it.

“After that it felt like it was too late to go back. I was hoping you’d just kind of get over it.”

“I know you were.” He’d hoped he’d feel less upset after hearing Jack admit it out loud, but to his dismay Gabriel didn’t feel placated at all. “But points for honesty.”

They laid there for a little while, Jack tucked awkwardly against Gabriel’s chest. Now that he was no longer stricken by the need to do something, anything to prove he’d never leave Jack to die like that Gabriel was feeling uncertain about how close they were—but as Jack seemed perfectly content to remain where he was Gabriel figured he’d appreciate an excuse to stay put. So he didn’t move.

“You know I can’t just decide to forgive you,” he said finally after a while. “I can say I do, but whether or not it’s true isn’t really my choice.”

“I wish I’d done more when it mattered.”

“It still matters! You can quit at any time, Jack, you just don’t like yelling at people.”

Jack groaned. “Everything is too set in stone, Gabe. Everyone’s already used to taking orders from me, and I don’t think I’d make a very good Blackwatch Commander.”

“...Give it to Ana.”

Jack looked up at him. “Blackwatch?”

“No, Overwatch.” Gabriel felt his face light up as a weight was lifted from his shoulders. “It’s perfect. Everyone already takes orders from her, she has the experience and skill to handle it, you don’t have to lead Blackwatch and I don’t have to hate you for being my boss. You’ll still be her second, it won’t be enough of a difference for the press to care.”

He looked down at Jack, expecting the other’s customary hesitation and thrilled to find a considering expression there instead. “...I’ll ask her about it. I kind of miss being your friend.”

Yeah. Friend. Gabriel just barely stopped himself from coughing. “I can’t imagine she’ll have any objections besides momentary shock. Fareeha already basically lives at the base anyway.”

“I’ll ask her,” Jack repeated, more confident this time. “If the suits have any objections, I’m sure I can use recent events as an excuse.”

“Sounds good to me.” With a sigh of regret Gabriel finally sat up, freeing Jack and allowing him to do the same. He let himself admire the faint blush on Jack’s face before standing up. “I wish I could say you don’t have to, but I really am feeling a lot better about all this now.”

Jack visibly brightened, the poor guy. “I want to. You’re my best friend and I’ll prove it to you if I still can.”

“Yeah, you do that.”

Apparently he hadn’t made the note of amusement in his voice obvious enough, as Jack wilted a little in response, requiring Gabriel to clap a hand onto his shoulder. “Relax, güero. You’ve got a few days of bedrest ahead of you still.”

Jack scowled. “My face is literally the only thing wrong with me.”

“That’s not what the doctors will say,” Gabriel said gleefully, knowing that Jack hated inactivity as much as he did. “You’ll have plenty of time to think about it.”

“Fuck you. Call Ana up right now, she’s probably worried sick about me anyway.”

“Sure thing, güero.” Gabriel gave him the illusion of safety as he made his way to the door—then winked at him as he shut it. Jack’s briefly visible blush was worth it.


End file.
